AceShowbiz - Walmart has apologized after a Paul Walker joke posted by the company's Twitter account handler sparked a controversy. In a statement released after it caught the heat online, the company admits the joke was made in "poor judgment."

"We apologize to Paul Walker's family, friends and fans," read the statement shared on Thursday, January 16 night in response to the uproar. "The tweet was posted in poor judgment and has been removed."

The controversy began as a customer expressed excitement over Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls that came with strawberry and cream-flavored icing. The user stated that the product was sold at Walmart, and followed-up the initial tweet with a gif of a speeding car. "*me racin to the nearest Wally World*," the said user captioned the post.

Someone who runs Walmart's Twitter account then replied to the post, "Hey, Paul Walker. Click it, or ticket." Many noted that Walmart was quoting a line from "Workaholics" episode that aired two years before Paul's death. The series was making a clear reference to "The Fast and the Furious" franchise, which he starred in until his death in a car crash in November 2013.

Many thought the joke was tone-deaf and Walmart quickly deleted it, but many have seen it and the backlash continued. "OMG. You can delete it all you want @Walmart but whoever posted that better be fired. So tasteless. RIP Paul Walker - died in my hometown," a fan posted on Twitter.

Another commented on the joke, "Dude, not cool. Paul Walker was known for giving back and helping others. I met a wardrobe dresser when I worked on a commercial in the Captain America outfit. She literally cried talking about him."

A few people, however, claimed that those were offended by the joke were missing the point. "A lot of y'all have never watched workaholics and it shows," one person tweeted.